Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring on Tuesday expressed grave concern over the provision of “zero tariffs” on US imports under the proposed Indo-US trade deal, apprehending that agricultural products could also be included.
In a statement, Warring said that the lack of clarity on the matter had created genuine apprehension among farmers, particularly in the state, that agricultural products will be allowed into the country without any tariff. Such a move would sound the death knell for the agricultural economy, he warned.
“There are genuine fears and apprehensions among farmers across the country, Punjab in particular, over the Modi government succumbing to US pressure by agreeing to ‘zero tariffs’ on US imports, while Indian products continue to face an 18 per cent tariff,” he said, adding that if agricultural products were included under the zero-tariff regime, it would devastate farmers and lead to a collapse of the agricultural economy across the country, with Punjab being the worst affected.
Warring said Prime Minister Narendra Modi owed an explanation to the nation, and farmers in particular, assuring them that their interests had not been compromised. “Otherwise, the government must be prepared to face the wrath of farmers,” he warned, adding that not only farmers’ livelihoods but the country’s future was at stake.
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